Making Friends with the Enemy
by SecondStar2theRight
Summary: Once Arthur knows about Merlin's magic, what happens next, and can they still be friends? Basically a sequel to any random  non-slash  revelation fanfic.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: There are lots of great revelation fanfics out there but the plot bunnies an I were wondering what happens next. This can be read as a sequel to just about any (non-slashy) fic out there where Arthur finds out Merlin's got magic and doesn't arrest him. **

**Spoilers: None**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin - nor Arthur for that matter -I'm just borrowing them for a bit of non-profit fun.**

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"Rise and Shine!"

Arthur groaned and mumbled a semi-coherent string of complaints and insults as he buried his face in his pillow to block out the early morning sunlight streaming through the windows his servant had so cheerily thrown open. What was wrong with his deranged manservant that he was always so chipper in the mornings? The sleepy prince wondered briefly if all sorcerers were morning people - maybe magic just made you crazy like that.

Magic. Merlin. All of a sudden it all came rushing back to him and he opened his eyes to glare at the source of his irritation. Just two days ago Merlin was just another bumbling servant. But then yesterday – yesterday everything changed the moment he saw Merlin's eyes turn gold. While he would never turn his friend over to his father to be executed, the thought that Merlin had magic was still new and unsettling. How was one supposed to order a sorcerer to muck out one's stalls? How could he trust someone who'd hid the truth from him for years?

Merlin smiled a little uncertainly as he shuffled around the room tidying up while the prince continued to glare. Judging by thes attention to Merlin was paying to his usually neglected duties and his lack of insistence he haul his royal arse out of bed, Arthur figured he wasn't the only one feeling a little uncertain about how to act.

"I've brought you your favourite breakfast Sire – eggs and ham with fresh bread and butter!"

Arthur noted the polite use of his honorific and judging by the look of the plate, Merlin had neglected to nick the best bits for himself like he usually did. Plus the warm sunlight felt like the early morning rays of dawn – suggesting Merlin was actually on time. Apparently, all it took for Merlin to do a proper job was to witness him committing capital crimes like sorcery and the threat of execution would keep him in line. Although to be honest, he had gotten rather used to Merlin's late arrivals, missing food and impertinent comments. Particularly the late arrivals - it gave him a chance to sleep in when he wanted.

However, as he awake now he figured he should get on with the day. He rubbed his eyes and stretched and decided on eating before dressing. After all, warm eggs were delicious but cold eggs were disgusting. He padded over to the table and sat down. He spread the butter thickly on the bread and ate it while watching Merlin tidy up. He took a bite of the eggs and grimaced. They were cold.

"Merlin! These eggs are _cold_. I can't eat cold eggs _Mer_lin."

Merlin looked over from where he was actually folding the shirts and putting them away rather than chucking them in (or behind/under/on top of) the nearest cupboard. The frightened look on the young warlock's face suggested that he honestly feared Arthur would turn him over to his father for letting his breakfast get cold.

"I'm so sorry sire. I don't know what I was thinking. I'll fix it straightaway". Arthur was shocked at the distinctly un-Merlin like response, but was even more surprised when instead of hurrying off to the kitchens to fetch him another plate as any other servant would have done, Merlin whispered something and his eyes glowed, after which the aroma of warm eggs wafted up and the prince could see steam coming off his eggs.

"Merlin! What did you do?" The prince looked in shock and alarm at the steaming eggs.

"I just warmed them up a bit." Merlin looked at him like a thief caught with his hand in the money bag. "You said you couldn't eat them cold so I just figured that well – since you know, I'd just…."

"Just what – bewitch my breakfast? "

"They're not _bewitched_ Arthur!" Merlin replied, sounding a little more like himself "It's just a simple heating spell. Really they're fine."

"I am NOT eating magicked eggs Merlin. Who knows what sort of effect could have."

"The only effect they'll have is to fill you up so you're not hungry and grum - errr no grumbling stomach." Merlin tried to look earnest. "Besides, I've been heating your meals magically for over a year now and you've never complained."

"Merlin!" Arthur looked aghast "I thought you said you'd only used your magic to help Camelot? Now I find out you've been lacing my meals with magic. What else have you been doing?"

"Nothing!" Merlin spluttered "I mean nothing really, well, your armour takes so long to polish that I use a cleaning spell on it now and then. And the bathwater – do you know how hard it is to lug all that water up here and then heat it? There's a handy spell I use for that. And of course moving things – but that's not really a spell, just a natural ability…"

Merlin trailed off as Arthur just stared at him eyebrows raised incredulously.

"Yeah I guess I do use magic now and then. But how else am I to practice? Knights don't just pick up a sword when there's trouble – you train your knights every day, unless it's pouring and even then you sometimes make me stand there in the rain while you bash at some poor target or worse _me_ while I get soaking wet and do you know you can get ill staying out in the rain like that - "

"Merlin!" Arthur cut into Merlin's tirade on training in the rain. He'd heard it many times before.

"Sorry sire. I just meant that using magic in my chores is just how I practice so that I can use it properly when I really need to."

Arthur thought that actually made sense but he didn't really want to admit that he was condoning use of illegal magic in Merlin's chores, so he made a non-committal 'humph' and turned back to his original dilemma - breakfast. The prince examined the eggs closely, pushing them around his plate and poking them experimentally with a fork. He sniffed them and poked them around a bit more.

"You're absolutely certain I can eat these?" He finally asked, still suspicious. After all, a lifetime of believing all magic was evil tended to make one hesitant to have anything to do with magic in any form.

"Yes sire."

"And no harm will come of it?"

"No sire."

"And the magic won't, I dunno, rub off on me or anything?"

"Of course not sire."

Arthur took a small bite. They did taste good. And he was hungry. He looked up at Merlin who nervously chewing his bottom lip and waiting for Arthur's verdict. The poor servant looked so nervous Arthur thought he might actually faint from lack of breath. He realised that for the first time since he'd known Merlin, the young servant was actually afraid of the prince. Part of Arthur wanted nothing more than to reassure his friend that he could trust him, but then he remembered said friend was a sorcerer and had been lying to him for years. And with a sinking feeling Arthur remembered that he wasn't sure that _he _could trust Merlin. But he could try.

"Well I suppose I'll just have to take your word for it then." He turned back towards his plate and started eating, despite the knot in his stomach. He could hear Merlin's sigh of relief but ignored it as he resolutely ate the entire meal. They'd just have to take it one step at a time. And although he'd never tell Merlin, he had to admit privately that magically heated eggs were even tastier than regular eggs.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: his chapter switched to Merlin's POV. I hope you like it!  
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**Disclaimer: I still don't own Merlin & Arthur -I'm just borrowing them for a bit of non-profit fun.**

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"Really Merlin – it's as if you're not even trying."

Merlin groaned. His head was ringing again and he was lying on a particularly cold puddle of mud with a sharp rock digging into his shoulder but he couldn't move. The last blow to the head left him unable to see straight. He figured maybe if he just lay there Arthur would go find someone else to bother.

The last few days had been a nightmare for Merlin. Every time Arthur would so much as look in his direction he would scowl and stare at Merlin until the young warlock felt as if the prince was trying to see the magic in his bones. So he'd spent the week trying to be the best servant he could be, thinking that would put the prince at ease. He'd actually been on time each morning, had refrained from insulting the prince (out loud anyways) and had even mucked out the stalls without being asked – though to be fair that was mostly to get away from his scowling master. But despite all his efforts - or in retrospect perhaps because of them – their tenuous friendship had been replaced by a strained tension. Merlin kept waiting for Arthur to change his mind and arrest him and Arthur seemed to be waiting for Merlin to do something evil, since that's what sorcerers were supposed to do.

Arthur's way of dealing with any sort of tension of course was to hit something with a sword. Since he had barely let Merlin out of his sight all week, the logical 'something' in this case was Merlin. So after finishing practice with the knights Arthur had dragged his poor servant out to the training grounds to use as a practice dummy.

"Come on – get up Merlin, quit lazing about" Arthur commanded.

Merlin groaned as he staggered to his feet and called Arthur several names under his breath. He looked around at the deserted practice grounds. It was late in the day and most people were probably enjoying a nice hot supper. His shoulder hurt and he could barely lift his sword. He decided he'd had just about enough of Arthur bashing him with various weapons.

"Right. This time try and put some effort into it would you Merlin?"

The weary warlock looked up at Arthur and saw the prince was smirking. Fine. If the arrogant prat wanted him to actually try and beat him then that's just what he would do.

"As you wish sire." Merlin grinned. This might actually be fun for once.

Arthur raised his sword and swung it at Merlin's head. The young sorcerer reacted instinctively. He didn't raise his sword, but his eyes glowed gold and Arthur's sword bounced harmlessly away from him. Arthur looked shocked but recovered quickly and tried to come around for another blow. Once again the sword bounced off and this time Merlin gave a little magical shove and Arthur was thrown back off his feet to land in a patch of mud as Merlin leaned nonchalantly on his sword attempting to look bored.

"Really Arthur – it's as if you weren't even trying. Come on get up – and this time put some effort into it." Merlin teased. Part of him was nervously wondering if he'd just signed his death warrant, but if they were ever to go back to the way things were, Merlin figured he better go back to behaving like himself. Besides he was tired of constantly getting pummeled and knocked about the training field when he was actually quite capable of defending himself.

Arthur just looked up at him in shock. "You used magic against me! You swore you would never use magic against me!"

"I was merely following your orders sire." Merlin tried his best to look completely innocent. "You told me to put some effort into it. So I did. You're not hurt, and besides, I did warn you when we first met- I _can _take you out with less than one blow."

The prince was not one to back down from such a blatant challenge, and certainly not one issued by his clumsy servant, even if said servant was a sorcerer. Without warning he kicked Merlin's feet out from under him, sending him sprawling into the mud. Arthur leapt to his feet and brought his sword around to point at Merlin's chest and smiled. "That was pure luck. You can't actually think you can beat _me._"

Merlin shoved the sword away and got back up wearing an identical smile to Arthur's and readied himself for the next attack. This time Arthur tried a feint before lunging in, but Merlin was ready. With a flash of gold in his eyes time slowed down and Merlin easily stepped out of the way of the blow and moved around behind Arthur. Arthur spun around but was hit in the face by a flying clump of mud. Merlin muttered a few words and Arthur's sword started tapping repeatedly on Arthur's helmet.

"Why _are_ you hitting yourself sire?" Merlin asked with obvious delight at the chance for a bit of revenge after years of being Arthur's practice target.

Arthur flung his helmet aside and his sword followed it, still hitting the empty helmet as Arthur tackled Merlin bodily to the ground before the warlock could react. The prince managed to shove a handful of mud in Merlin's face as the two of them wrestled in the mud before he was pushed back off by a strong force followed by more mud flying in his direction. As Merlin was still wiping the mud out of his eyes though the flying projectiles missed and splattered into the trees behind them. The two boys sat catching their breath, covered in mud and smiling at each other.

"Right. No enchanting my sword. Or my armour, or my shield or me." Arthur may have been trying to sound annoyed but Merlin knew he was enjoying this new challenge. There was nothing that Arthur liked better than a challenge he could meet with a sword. And Merlin had to admit he was enjoying actually having someone to practice his combat magic with, and even more he was happy to just be himself. He looked up at the prince with a grin and found that his friend was looking at him thoughtfully as if suddenly comming up with a new plan which Merlin was sure meant trouble for him one way or another.

"You know Merlin, it could actually be useful to have a sorcerer handy to practice on, there do seem to be enough sorcerers out there who try to attack me."

"I can't think why any sorcerer would want to attack _you _sire. It's not like you're an arrogant, over bearing, supercilious pra-" Merlin was cut off by another handful of mud as the smiling Prince lunged to reclaim his wayward sword and begin another attack in defence of his besmirched honour.

They stayed out on the practice field until there was no light left to aim a sword or spell. By the time they headed back to the castle, both young men were covered in mud, tired, sporting a few new bruises and smiling from ear to ear.


End file.
